Meanings
plural escapades
- A daring or adventurous act; an undertaking which goes against convention.
[Nobody] stood more confounded than Oldbuck at this sudden escapade of his nephew. "Is the devil in him," was his first exclamation, "to go to disturb the brute?"
1816, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 9, in The Antiquary - Volume II4 more examples
The Manner of living among the Portugueze here is, with the utmost Frugality and Temperance. […] The beſt of them (excepting the Governor now and then) neither pay nor receive any Viſits of Eſcapade or Recreation; […]
1724, Charles Johnson [pseudonym], “Of Captain Howel Davis, and His Crew”, in A General History of the Pyrates, […], 2nd edition, London: Printed for, and sold by T. Warner, […], →OCLC, page 202He is always doing something to make himself notorious. There was that breach-of-promise case, and that fight at the political meeting, and his escapades at Monte Carlo.
1918, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 1, in Piccadilly JimGlass breaks, the dimming lights / Sweat, heat and profane debate / The smart ones stay on the outside / While drunken heads and arms erupt / Centered man swings a punch / Spits a tooth, postures odd / A punk rock escapade / Five bucks a head to be king dick in the crowd / We are the ones who must sport the position / Cheap beer, trendy clicks / Lesbian love is accepted and right / Shaved heads meet hair in the mix / Blending the 80's and 90's with hate
1996, “The Underground in America”, in Pantera (music), The Great Southern Trendkill, performed by Pantera, track 10He seems on the verge of winning the New York Senate election when the New York Post runs a photo of David’s exposed butt in a mooning escapade from his college days.
2011 March 4, Richard Corliss, "The Adjustment Bureau" (film review), Time (retrieved 23 March 2014)
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Vulgar Latin*excappāre
- Old Spanishescapada
- Frenchescapade“the act of escaping; a trick”
- Englishescapade
Borrowed from French escapade (“the act of escaping; a trick”), itself borrowed from Old Spanish escapada, from escapar (“to escape”), from Vulgar Latin *excappāre.
More words from French, Old Spanish, Vulgar Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian лудория, приключение
- лудория (ludorija)daring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
- приключение (priključenie)daring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Danish eskapade
- eskapadedaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Dutch escapade
- escapadedaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Finnish tempaus
- tempausdaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
French escapade
- escapadedaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
German Eskapade, Abenteuer
- Eskapadedaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
- Abenteuerdaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
- Streichdaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Greek περιπέτεια
- περιπέτεια (peripéteia)daring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Indonesian petualangan
- petualangandaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Italian scappatella
- scappatelladaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Norwegian Bokmål eskapade
- eskapadedaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Portuguese escapadela, escapada
- escapadeladaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
- escapadadaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Russian эскапада
- эскапада (eskapada)daring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Spanish aventura, andanza
- aventuradaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
- andanzadaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
- correríadaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
- travesuradaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
- escapadadaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Swedish eskapad
- eskapaddaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Turkish kaçamak
- kaçamakdaring or adventurous act; undertaking which goes against convention
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with escapade
Cite this entry
escapade. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escapade
“escapade.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escapade. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “escapade,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escapade.
Source: escapade on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.